Mysteries Of A Flowerbud
by christinabakes
Summary: Daism is just an average teenager in Flowerbud Village, until his mother dies. He then has to take over the farm and find out why his father had ever abandoned it. And what's with this new villager...Rav?
1. Chapter 1

ok, well this is one of my first fanfictions and it's based on the harvest moon game Save the Homeland, enjoy and please review at the end

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**Ch. 1**

I had always heard rumors that my father had saved the homeland. Curious it was, and I had always wanted to know whether it was true or not. Unfortunately I had never been able to ask him, since of course he had left without saying. My mother had raised me once he had left, which was very hard for her. When I had been old enough...since five, I had begun taking care of myself and doing part-time work at places. Money was a tight thing for us, we always just barely managed to get around, since prices had sky-rocketed for years now. With no farmer to provide them with the vegetables they needed they needed the money to have food imported into our small village. It was hard living, and whenever I thought of my father I hated him more and more, and wondered if he really ever did save the village.

"Would you be a dear Daism and go to the store and get some eggs and milk?" my mother, Lyla asked. She was a simple woman who smiled all the time and rarely ever got angry. I looked up from the floor, I shrugged as an answer and grabbed some money out of the register and went outside. It was a gloomy day, just as gloomy as I felt, cloudy with a chance of rain. Louis was out playing his flute, what he always did on his days off. When he saw me he stopped playing though, that's when I looked more intently at the ground and tried picking up my pace without being suspicious about not wanting to talk.

"Afternoon Daism!" Louis called. He ran up to me, making me unable to continue on. "Fine day isn't it?"

"Seen better," I grunted. This was what he _always_ tried to do, strike up light conversations with me. Thing about me is I did a lot of part-time work with the carpenter's apprentice, Kurt. He was the cold, calm, and silent type and working around him made me more or less like him and idolize him.

Louis nodded agreeing completely with me, he always did that..agreeing automatically with whatever I said. "How's Lyla?" he asked with a concerned tone in his voice. He was pretty obvious that he liked her, then again it wasn't surprising. My mother was very beautiful, she had long, wavy light pink hair and caring light blue eyes. Her small, slim figure always stood out best in the red skirt and yellow blouse she always seemed to wear. To top it all off with nothing ever made her frown and she was always smiling, brightening up anyone's day.

"She's fine, as usual," I muttered in response.

"I'm surprised...for sixteen years she's kept up this pace, not once has she shown sadness at your father leaving her," Louis said sadly. "It won't be long before the years of not caring will catch up with her and break her down."

"What makes you say that?" I snapped dangerously, my father being mentioned in that statement sparked a fire inside of me.

"Well, he stopped the city from building an amusement park over this village, he got her pregnant and when he found out he just ran off, leaving no one in charge of the farm and turning our now non-doomed village in ruin."

"How'd he save this village?" I asked coldly, but curiously. I knew how he had brought it to ruin, I had known for as long as I had been working. Ten years of working had made me realize how ruined the village was. Now as a fifteen year old I didn't know what to do anymore, I had really considered leaving the village when I got enough money.

"He made this village really famous, he found an endangered blue butterfly, which is how he met Lyla and got closer to her, and he helped Gina make a Goddess Robe. It was really fascinating that he found the time to do all that and farm all that he did. When he was around we never went hungry, we had to lower the prices of vegetables he harvested so many. Shame he left, but I don't think he could handle a child on the farm or a child in general. He was pretty scared when he found out Lyla was pregnant with you, left the night he found out...he left a note for Lyla but it didn't matter because Kurt saw him leaving," Louis explained.

"Why hasn't anyone taken up the farm these sixteen years?"

"No one had the knowledge or determination to do so, they all thought they'd do horrible compared to Jack but they forgot that he did it for one year and started with no knowledge. And now, everyone's a bit too old to even have the energy to handle a farm, soon we're all gonna have to leave so we can have better lives in the city. Farewell Daism, it was nice talking to you but I'm sure Lyla has sent you on a task for you don't generally come out this time in the afternoon." He left after that and I shrugged and stuffed my thumbs into my jeans pockets and slouched. It was a humid summer day and the fact that the collar to my vest was up didn't really help to cool me down. I walked down the hill and to Ronald's Supermarket, hating him and his high priced merchandise with a passion.

The door's bell chimed as I entered and I went over to Ronald at the counter. "What can I do for you sonny?" he asked kindly. _Sonny_? I thought bitterly to myself. Only he called me _sonny_, and to be frank I was disgusted with it. I was fifteen and too old be called anything of that sort. I said nothing about it though, I wasn't one to mention stuff that bothered me or even to talk at all.

"A thirteen eggs and two gallons of milk," I ordered. He nodded and went to the storage to get those items. Fortunately milk and eggs were the original price they had always been, nice and cheap for good quality.

"That'll be one thousand one hundred gold," he told me while handing a bag with the purchase in it. That was a good price expensive as it might sound, a quarter of what the flower shop made a week in spring and summer. I handed him the gold and grabbed the bag, heading back outside. Normally I would have gone straight back home but this time I went in the direction of Walnut Forest, stopping at the fork in the road and taking a right instead of the usual left.

The condition of the farm was shocking to me, the soil had weeds in it and was in poor condition and the buildings looked as if they would fall if you touched them. The only thing that looked in good condition was the grazing pasture and that was all. I walked up to the chicken coop and looked at the door before gently taking hold of the knob and went inside.

It was dusty and crammed in there but I didn't pay much mind and went straight to the incubator. I looked at it with reluctance but grabbed an egg from the bag and set it in the incubator and turned it on, hoping that a chicken would hatch from it. With that in mind I left and went back home, hoping my mother wouldn't question my late return since I never stopped for conversation or took detours like I had today.

We had potato stew that night, and as I washed the dishes and mother prepared cake for our weekly dessert I decided to do a little talking instead of dreaming. "Mom?" I asked cautiously.

"Hmm?" she answered happily.

"Were you at all upset when father left?" I blurted out in a rush. Silence greeted my question and I felt shivers up and down my spine and regretted even have thinking of asking the question in the first place.

"No, he left because he couldn't handle what happened, he did what he thought was best and that's all I can say really. I had too much work to do to even feel upset as well," Mom explained.

"What would you think if someone took over the farm now?"

"You're quite the talkative one tonight," she smiled. "But I think it would be impossible, no one is young enough to take over the farm and keep it in top shape like your father did. And you'd better scrub those dishes well too Daism, talking seems to take you off your important tasks, no wonder you hardly ever talk." She chuckled at this and I flashed a small smile and went back to work, my thoughts drifting to the egg I had put in incubator.

Three days had passed and by then I had been going out more often and today I decided to go to the farm again and check on the egg. When I entered I found a chirping newborn chick about the size of my palm. With care I scooped it up and looked at it, deciding that since I didn't have any money to buy chicken feed I should let it outside. I set it in the pasture and watched it for a couple hours, hoping that it would be safe there for the day.

I was practically glowing with happiness as I practically skipped. My chestnut brown hair flew behind me, messing it up so it looked almost like Louis's. I grinned for the first time in my life as I felt my near shoulder-length hair messier than it had ever been. When I came up the hill and looked at the Flower Shop, my home, I saw Louis leaving the house part of it and walking back towards his home next to the Tool Shop he ran. Something was wrong and I knew it, Louis had a worried expression on his face when he had left, but if anything major was wrong then he would've gone to Bob or Tim next door at Brownie Farm. I shrugged and figured if anything was serious he would've gone to find me right away so I decided to go visit the manor.

Dia and Gina were outside sitting cross-legged under a tree, shielding them from the heat of the sun. Around 3 o' clock was when the sun felt hottest and I understood why these two were under a tree and I walked over to them. "Hello," I greeted calmly. Dia just gave me a cold glare like I would've done in her position but Gina was a lot kinder than that.

"Hello Daism, it's been a long while since we last met," Gina smiled warmly. I nodded patiently, knowing that I had never been here and only had met Gina once at the Supermarket. "Is there anything Sir would like?" I felt my face go hot at being called Sir by a thirty-three year old maid, it was unusual for me to be called sir.

"Err.." I stammered. "Please don't call me Sir, it's rather...unusual. I was wondering though...do you do haircuts?" It was strange asking and I hadn't even thought of haircuts for years, usually I just did it myself with my pocket knife and took off a couple inches.

"Of course, but why, would you like a haircut?" she asked, puzzled. I nodded and pulled my knife out of my pocket and offered it to her. "Oh no, no! I shall cut your hair with scissor, not that. I shall be right back." She ran off right after that, leaving me and that girl...Dia alone.

I knew immediately that Dia didn't trust me one bit and she made it confirmed when she finally spoke up. "Why are you _here_?" she asked in a stuck-up tone. It was worse than I was in my most distant moods, at least I just sounded normal and cold...but stuck-up just wasn't my style.

"I'd watch it Miss I'm So Pretty And Rich," I growled to her. Big mistake that was, I got a piercing glare from her narrowed blue eyes. Feeling confident I narrowed my grayish-brown eyes and glared at her as well, neither of us blinking or looking away. Our gazes were held strong until Gina came back with scissors in her right hand.

"I'm leaving Gina, I shall see you inside." Dia stormed off with her nose held high and Gina looking at her, surprised and confused.

"How short do you want it...Daism?" Gina questioned, leaving a pause at trying to remember my name.

"Half an inch below the ears," I shrugged. I had never been able to cut it off that much, a knife near my ears wasn't exactly what I wanted. Expertly Gina began cutting and made small conversation of how she once made a Goddess Robe and won the contest. I just sat there and listened intently, knowing Louis had mentioned how my father had helped her. She talked of how she had gotten the most beautiful material from him and how he wouldn't tell her where he got it or how he made it.

"He was most handsome I must admit," she muttered shyly. "If he hadn't left I would've loved having married him, but then...I knew he loved Lyla when she came up one day to give him a special seed to plant. He smiled and praised her at her ability to get the most beautiful seeds and promised he would plant it lovingly and carefully. Never had he said anything of that sort to anyone else in the village, and then he left her...he left her after he had loved her and impregnated her. How shocking that was and how I hated him after that." Yeah, I could feel the hate she had felt after he had left. She cut sharply and quickly, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my skin crawl with fear. I never like haircuts, that's why I had never even thought of getting one.

"Thanks," I mumbled when she had finished.

"Your welcome. Goodnight Daism." Gina bowed and I waved, walking back home in the cool of the summer evening.

Mom didn't seem too worried when I came home late, but she sure did look fragile. She had lost weight these past days, her face scrawny and her hair scraggly. To be honest, I was really worried about her. Only three days ago Louis had said the years would finally catch up with her, but so soon was what frightened me. "Hello," she greeted with a flustered smile.

"Mom." I nodded. "Why was Louis over?"

"Oh, he was just checking on me, seeing if we needed any supplies, as usual," she sighed. I frowned, Mom had always refused help from him, no matter how generous the offer of even how much we needed it. At first I had yelled at her for not taking the offer and she never argued back, just sighed and shook her head. I now realized why she always refused, he always offered her marriage but always got rejected.

"Alright." I was back to my normal self now, quiet, distant, and didn't like to talk much. Kinda funny, I thought. It was just earlier today that I was feeling like I could burst with happiness and excitement at the newborn chick and now all of a sudden I was back to my regular self. When dinner time came she handed me a bowl of warm soup and I ate it in silence and without question, looking at her swallow a couple spoonfuls and eating nothing else. I kept looking at her, worry flickering in my eyes for mere seconds before vanishing. When worry was in my eyes, I hoped she didn't see, I didn't want her to see me worry or anything like that. It would only add to her load of problems, the exact opposite of what I wanted.

"I wish your father hadn't left, I wish he would have kept the farm," Mom sighed suddenly. "Everything would be so perfect if he had stayed, this town would've been like it used to be when his grandfather ran it."

"Maybe it's time someone take it up, maybe Tim..he's young," I suggested. "He even has a basic farming background, he should be able to do it."

"Tim wouldn't do it, as soon as he gets enough money he's going to the city for adventures...he's not the one to settle down on a farm." Mom looked so tired and pale now that I couldn't help but try and think of ways to make it better. "It's time that we go...I must tell you something...I accepted Louis's request this time, we're going to the city, we're leaving on Saturday." _Saturday?_ I wanted to scream. It was Thursday and for once I didn't want to leave this town...especially the baby chick that I had just managed to get to hatch.

"But..." I started protesting.

"No, I'm sorry...it's just that it's too much living here. We can't live here anymore, we'll die if we do." This wasn't like Mom, this wasn't like her at all. She never just gave up, she had always kept the shop open despite the terrible situations we had been through. Something was wrong with her, why would she except Louis's proposal of all things?

"Mom..." I began to ask but she stood up quickly, shook her head and went into her bedroom for the rest of the night. I sighed and began to clean up the house, hoping that this was a dream, and as soon as I went to sleep I'd wake up and everything would be back to normal. If this is reality then nothing can get worse, I thought. I now know how wrong I was.

I pried my eyelids apart and blinked at the sunlight drafting through the window. It was early and the sun was only just beginning to rise. Groggily I rose and rubbed my eyes, shaken still at last night. Though it was early I figured that Mom would be awake like she usually was. As I entered the kitchen I didn't hear the hiss of a cooking breakfast or even see her small figure in the room at all. Louis was sitting at the table and he turned the light on as soon as I entered the room. "Come, I'm about to see her," he said. He rose and I followed him into the room.

She was laying in the bed, her eyes half-closed and her hair covering most of her face. I ran up to her and kneeled by her side. "You okay Mom?" I asked. "You're gonna be alright, don't worry you're gonna pull." My voice was filled with determination but doubt nagged in the bottom of my heart.

"It's alright Daism...I've left the shop's possessions to you, do with them as you will. I only wish your father was here to...save the homeland once more." Mom smiled at the thought of it, a dreamy look in her glazed eyes.

"He's not coming Mom," I muttered to her. "But...I'm here, and I'm taking over the farm, I'm gonna save this village and make it what it used to be like, make all the villagers proud."

"I'm so proud of you...Daism, goodbye, and goodlu..." She managed to say before she closed her eyes and her breathing stopped. I knew she had known, and she was proud of me...I was going to do my best and not disappoint her. All the seeds in the store were mine and I'd be able to get a perfect start with them and the tools and other seeds left at the farmhouse on Harvest Farm. It was now time for me...to save the homeland.

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ok, so what'd you think, please review and I'll try and get the next chapter asap if I get enough inspiration and hardly any homework 


	2. Chapter 2

yay! chapter 2 is finally up and ready to go, so at the end please don't forget to review!

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**Ch. 2**

I hadn't gotten much work done that day Mom died. Only one section of eight crops had been completed and I sighed with disappointment. My hoe's handling end was stuck into the ground as I leaned on it and looked at my work. Behind me was the door to my new house, I had already been in it and to be honest it was disgusting. I wasn't one for complaining but this was terrible how poorly the farm's condition was. The buildings looked as if they would fall down if you touched them. That's what started my new task the next day.

I had gone to Woody, the seventy-six year old carpenter, and asked if I could borrow a ladder. He let me, knowing it was for the farm, since Louis had blabbed to everyone about Lyla dying and my taking over the farm. It was fortunate he didn't give them the reason she died, or anything else but her dying. I had bawled like a baby...silently...when she died...smiling.

With the ladder, I went back to the farm and got some cloths and started scrubbing away sixteen years of filth from the house. Some people might've said it was pointless, and I guess they were right but I really wanted the farm to look nice again and I had nothing better to do. The roof of the house took hours of cleaning, bringing noon on quicker than I had thought. I climbed down the ladder and decided to go to the Ronald's Supermarket for some bread and honey for a couple days.

"Good luck on the farm," Ronald said to me as he began to bag my merchandise. "And I'm terribly sorry about your mother, she had so much to live for too. Now at her death we're getting a newcomer to Flowerbud Village...Lyla's funeral will be on Sunday. I've tried to contact Jack too, no such luck, I thought for sure he'd be in the nearest city or village. I'm sorry Daism, I'm talking too much, it's just been hectic times now." He handed me the bag and I grabbed it from him with a nod and walked to the door. "Before you leave," he stated suddenly and I came to an abrupt halt. "I want you to come over say around 4 o' clock and meet this newcomer with me, that is if you don't mind."

"I'll come." It was all I said and needed to say before I walked out the door. The walk to the farm was so much different than to the Flower Shop but it somehow felt so right. I opened the door to my small house and put the bag on the table before walking outside to complete my work for the day. The crops were well watered and I made sure of that and the house's roof didn't look as if it'd collapse at any given moment. I decided to cut down some grass for fodder in my silo just in case I might get a cow one day...or, if I played my cards right, a horse. Horses had fascinated me since my childhood and every time I went to Brownie Farm I watched the horses with awed fascination. The gray horse had always been my favorite one and I had befriended it so it came to me whenever I went over there. I had called that horse Mickey Mouse and he was my best friend in this whole village believe it or not.

At 4 o' clock I stopped working and went over to the supermarket to see Ronald waiting for me outside by his garden. "Afternoon Daism, fancy meeting you here," he grinned. I smiled and nodded and walked over. "The man supposed to come over here, it's what he said and I trust he'll be able to find his way over here too."

"Does this man have a name by any chance?" I asked crisply.

"He never gave me his name, just the fact that he was coming here, which is rather surprising but I'm sure he just wanted to let us know ahead of time," he shrugged. I looked out of the corner of my eyes, seeing a figure emerging from Walnut Forest. Ronald didn't seem to be paying attention and just looked to the clouded sky. "I still can't believe that she died though, she was always smiling and now she finally just...broke."

"What's past is past and there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing gold can stay, that's the way life is so you just have to move on," I muttered dryly.

"Nothing gold can stay?" questioned Ronald.

"It's a poem I once found at the manor. It was a really beautiful poem, I'll tell you another time though." Just as I finished my sentence a man, around the age of 40, walked up and grinned at Ronald.

"You must be the man I wrote to," he grinned. "Name's Rav." He shook hands with Ronald, firmly enough so it seemed more like he was in his late 20's instead of early 40's. "And who might you be boy?"

"This is Daism. Took over Harvest Farm since his mother died on him just yesterday," Ronald answered.

"I'm terribly sorry to hear about your mother Daism, was she a nice woman?" Rav frowned.

"She was incredibly wonderful, best woman anyone would ever see in this town," I answered.

"You took over the farm, is it hard work?" Now I was beginning to get irritated, all these questions focused around my personal life...why did this man...Rav...need to know?

"It's hard, but worth it if I can help this town, it's been tough going for us all so it's best that there's a farmer now," I explained. "Anything _else_?" I asked a little testily for my own good. He obviously noticed my irritation in my voice and decided to change the subject.

"Beautiful town it is Ronald."

"Sure is Rav," Ronald smiled proudly. "So are you here on vacation or looking for a fresh start or what?"

"My reasons are my own, but since I here that this boy, Daism, is working on a farm was wondering if I could help him around, no charge for now," Rav told him.

"I'm sure Daism would be delighted to have you help him on the farm, right Daism?" Ronald stated.

"Sure, it'd get more produce going and we need all the produce we can get right now," I shrugged.

"Excellent," Rav grinned. "So when do you want me to start working?"

"Show up tomorrow whenever and we can start planting more crops. Where will you stay though?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.

"I've got it all worked out so don't worry," he said smoothly. Every expression he put on his face made me feel uncomfortable, everything about him in fact from his chestnut-brown hair tied in a ponytail down his back partly to his average muscular frame. "I'll come around say, 7 a.m., that sound good?"

"Alright, whatever, don't expect any pay or nothin' like that," I mumbled.

"Don't worry, I don't care 'bout pay or anything like that," smiled Rav. "So I'll see you then, farewell."

"So what about her...?" Ronald whispered to Rav as I began to leave. I didn't hear the rest of Ronald's question or Rav's answer, not that I cared or anything like that, I was just wondering why of all times this guy, Rav, had decided to come to Flowerbud Village, and of all things why did he want to help me on the farm?

Gloomily I walked back to my farm and was greeted by a bark of a wild dog. My eyes snapped all the way open and I looked up from the dirt road. He was a fit, strong, and handsome light-brown dog with pointy ears and a blue cloth tied around his neck. I kneeled down and whistled gently, careful not to make any sudden moves that might frighten him. I had always had a weak spot for animals, cats in particular but dogs just as much. "C'mere boy," I whistled. The dog backed away carefully but I still kneeled down with my hand slightly outstretched. All I got in response to staying was a fierce snarl and a glance at his sharp fangs. "Damn," I muttered to myself. "You're a fine old boy, be perfect as a farm dog." Slowly I rose, deciding it better not to get involved with a dog if he didn't like the way I was approaching him. I shrugged began to head towards my house, exhausted after the day's rough work.

The dog came up to me and licked my left hand as I began to take hold of the doorknob and I stopped and looked at him. "What?" I asked. It was strange, to be fair, I always could talk more around animals rather than humans. Maybe it was the fact that they couldn't understand what I was saying and it didn't matter, other than humans who could understand what I was saying, language wise but not understand what I was actually trying to mean. It always came out wrong anyways, that's why I never bothered with talking around people much.

I held out my hand and he sniffed it cautiously, and then started licking it. "You're an odd one," I smiled. "How would you like a home?" It was almost as if he could understand me, to an extent. Either that or the dog had wanted to call this place home from the start. "I'll get you a dog house as soon as I get some money, don't worry, until then I'm not sure what to tell ya other than at least it's spring."

I stretched onto my bed after a full dinner, somewhat disgusted with the cold food but somewhat satisfied. It had been a pretty tiring day, cleaning up the farm and tomorrow I had plans on having Rav help me fill up all seven remaining sections. My mind wandered carelessly and for once in my whole entire life I was able to find a dreamless, careless sleep. This was the first time since I had been little that I had been able to have the feeling of no worry and I was unable to stay awake, no matter how much I may have wanted to.

My eyes opened to a blurred vision and I blinked them, clearing up my vision and stretching as I rose out of bed. I stretched and yawned, remembering all that had happened yesterday vaguely and I remembered about Rav coming to help in about an hour. When I opened the door the sun wasn't the only thing that greeted me with warmth and I gave a vague smile as I heard my new companion barking at me. He sat at my feet and I reached out to pet him, giving him a few pats on the head and wondering what I give to him for food.

"Here ya go boy," I said to him as I put in some leftovers from last night which the dog ate excitedly. I shook my head sadly at seeing the poor progress I had made yesterday with my crops so I watered them and checked out the chicken coop to see how the egg was doing. It looked as though it would hatch in a couple days so I walked back outside and grabbed my hoe and dug into the soil fiercely. I lost track of time and was surprised to hear Rav calling to me from the road. I wiped off any muck that might have been on my face and walked over to him, hoping that I had somewhat I decent appearance. Rav was grinning at me when he saw me standing there in a white T-shirt and faded blue jeans torn on one of the knees.

"I see you've already begun, perhaps I should come earlier?" he suggested mildly.

"If it pleases you then feel free, I don't care," I muttered coldly. "To let you know what's going on I've decided to fill the remaining seven sections of the farm and then try and get some fodder in the silo if possible."

"Sounds like a very busy day ahead of us, but I'm sure we can handle it. What shall I do? I know you don't have two hoes so do you want me to plant, water, or cut grass?" Rav asked.

"You'll plant crops in the parts I've already tilled, I've plenty of seeds in the house so pick whatever you fancy and water them too," I explained. Without another word I went back to tilling and Rav went into the house and came out with a large amount of seed bags in bundled in his arms. He planted the same crops in the same section and I was impressed at how efficiently he did it.

It was late in the afternoon when we finished but it was worth it and I smiled proudly at the hard hours we had put into this. Two sections were filled with potatoes, two with tomatoes, two with corn, and two with breadfruit. "We'll have this place up in no time and the village will be able to have plentiful crops again," Rav smiled. "Er...if you don't mind I have to leave now, important matter that I have to tend to. I'll see you tomorrow, we'll see about cutting down some grass for fodder and getting a cow possibly." I nodded and let him leave, whatever business he had to attend to was to him alone, yet I couldn't help but wonder...what was it? So I decided to follow him..I didn't trust this guy, this Rav. Even if he was helping me there was something strange and untrustworthy about him.

I grabbed my fishing pole and went at a trot to catch up with him but slowed to a walk a good twenty feet behind him. He didn't seem to notice me following him all the way into Walnut Forest and he didn't seem to notice me when we got to the lake where I cast my line into the water casually. I looked at him casually but he didn't even seem to notice that I was there, in fact he started to talk, to himself in fact, as if nobody could hear him. His eyes were gazing into nowhere in particular, they even seemed a tad glazed if I didn't know any better. "Mysteries are impossible to solve," he whispered to the sky. My ears perked up curiously, this man was interesting indeed. "Flowerbuds are beautiful but they die out, just like everything else but some things stay, some flowerbuds are different and never wilt." I didn't say anything and I went back to my fishing, my heart taken out of it completely as I got lost in thought at the deepness in Rav's statement.

"Still talking about that are you?" asked a feminine voice that was unfamiliar to me. Startled I turned around and my eyes widened at the sight. Another complete stranger, a little younger than me, standing there talking to Rav. She had long, silky rose-blonde hair that fell a few inches past her shoulders that had strands falling loosely onto her face. I had never met anyone so beautiful before, she took my breath away and my heart seemed to stop and my stomach flipped when her green eyes saw me. She turned her head coldly and walked up to Rav, her long, dark brown skirt trailing behind her. That outfit on her was perfect for the warm day, a long, dark brown skirt, a short sleeve dark orange jacket over a white tanktop. Somehow it just seemed to match the spring evening perfectly and before I knew it I was staring off into space, thinking of how beautiful she was and how beautiful nature was with her. It was strangely odd, to think of those completely different things at once but my mind thinks...to put it simply it thinks very oddly.

By the time I had gotten home I realized that, that girl was most likely Rav's daughter. When I was walking home I had thought about it, and it did make sense, a lot of sense. Where would they live though? I asked myself a hundred times it seemed. My restless mind kept me awake for hours once again, and I was happy inside, this was what I was used to and it was good to be back to normal, cold, distant, mysterious...that's the way I liked it.

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ok, so there ya go, i'll try and get chapter 3 up as soon as possible and until then don't forget to review!  



	3. Chapter 3

**And I've finally managed to update. All of a sudden I've been hit by a storm of ideas and will try to keep updating as long as these ideas come to my mind.**

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****Ch. 3**

It took forever for me to go to sleep that night. My mind kept on wandering to that girl I had seen, the girl I believed to be Rav's daughter. Something about her seemed so oddly familiar. Whatever it could be it was that little familiar hunch I got when I thought of her that wouldn't allow me to sleep. When my heavy eyelids finally closed for the night I was grateful, until nightmares of my mother's death kept waking me up with me screaming in the middle of the night. It was a very restless night, at one time I woke up and felt so sick I threw up.

The next morning I awoke at my usual 6' a.m. wishing that last night had all been a terrible dream. With the terrible night's sleep I'd gotten I felt I could've not gone to sleep at all and still felt the way I did right now. I ate a small breakfast omelet and went outside to start watering after I had dressed in some overalls. Thirty minutes after I had begun watering Rav came walking down the path with the girl right next to him. My stomach churned and I could feel some color drain out of my face, not that it was very noticeable with my lack of sleep.

"Morning," he greeted cheerfully. I grunted in response, too exhausted to even pry open my chapped lips. I had left the watering can where it was and walked up to him and he looked me up and down while the girl stared dazedly at the eight full crop squares. "You sure you wanna work today?"

"I'm ok," I said and shrugged.

"Doesn't look it, but I can't stop you from working if you really want to. By the way, this is my friend's daughter, Lily. She's going to stay with me and take care of all your animals when you get some," he explained.

"Ok, I'm pretty sure that the egg I put in the incubator two days ago will be hatched by tomorrow so no worries today," I told Lily.

"What about chicken feed? I'll have to go get some as it seems you don't have any," Lily stated bitterly. She was going to be hard to befriend obviously, with that attitude she walked around with. I just grinned at this, I could play at this game real well as I had done it many times to Louis. My fists clenched just at the thought of that bastard and I turned away and walked back to the third square that I had begun watering, taking a last glance at Lily standing there in faded blue jeans and a white T-shirt, her rose-blonde hair tied into a long ponytail and her slim figure slouching casually in the warm spring air. She talked to Rav for awhile then walked off the farm, obviously to go get some supplies.

Rav grabbed the sickle and started to cut grass to make fodder, the more fodder was cut the better for when we made the first harvest and got a cow. I continued to water and when I finished I put some leftovers from breakfast in the dog food bowl for any stray dogs that might get hungry. I hadn't seen that one dog for awhile, and I really hoped that it would come back.

"How much money do you have?" Rav's voice asked me a couple hours into our work. I had been daydreaming while watering the crops and getting the buildings into shape, I was working on the barn now and almost finished.

"Huh?" I said stupidly, looking at him behind me.

"I said how much money do you have?" he responded crisply.

"Total I have about 3,000G, why?" I shrugged.

"Excellent, that'll be enough to buy a cow."

"Ah, I didn't think I was ready for a cow just yet...you think the barn's ready to have one in it again?" I said.

"I should hope so, now if we buy a cow that'll leave us both flat broke, so you'll need to go in the forest and gather some berries, nuts, and herbs to make some small change. I'll be fishing to sell the fish that I catch," explained Rav. I nodded vaguely and he continued. "I have a favor to ask of you though...actually two favors."

"I owe you a lot Rav," I told him honestly. "Go ahead, I'm sure it can be done."

"First off, Lily needs a place to stay, I was wondering if she could stay with you. Ron can't keep the two of us sheltered under his roof no matter how much he wants to."

"That'd be fine."

"Excellent. Now the second favor. I need you to leave this farm after a year. Once next spring comes you have to leave here." He said it so casually, it was almost as if it was asking for a penny or something.

"What!" I yelled. "I can't do that! The villagers are relying on me to help them and you expect me to leave after a year! No way!"

"You have to, or else you'll regret it," he said mysteriously.

"Will I now? Why don't you just explain instead of being Mister Mysterious. Explain yourself clearly why I should leave, and it better be good."

"There's a flower here...in this town. It grows back every few years, it kills off a person every time it blooms. No one knows why either, next year is when it will bloom I believe," Rav stated.

"Who are you?" I asked him. "I know your name isn't Rav, and I know that you know a lot more than you act."

"You're quite correct. But just because you are right about something doesn't mean that I'll tell you what you wish to know. Let me just say, that I'm an answer to the truth, I know what will happen if you stay on this farm for too long, and I know why your mother died." I looked at my shoes at the mention of my mother, unable to bear the pain of losing her just a few days ago.

Lily came running up just then, cradling bags of chicken feed in her arms. "Got them J...Rav," she said. Rav smiled at her then cast a glance at me. "Daism!" I looked up at her. "C'mon, I'm gonna go gather some fruits from the forest and you're gonna come with me." Grudgingly I started to leave the farm, Lily staying to talk to Rav for a moment then running to catch up to me.

I grabbed a rucksack and threw it over my left shoulder and let it land near my right thigh. Lily seemed full of energy as she picked some Very Berries and tossed them to me where I put them in rucksack. She grabbed herbs and flowers and more Very Berries along with blueberries.

"Shame we have to sell them all don't ya think? They all looked so ripe and good," she grinned.

"I suppose, but we really have to get money anywhere we can," I told her.

"That's what Rav said, c'mon, now that we're done gathering these I'll show you a really pretty place where the sun is so beautiful when it sets. We'll sell our gatherings tomorrow, most places are at closing time now." I looked at the sun and predicted around 5 o'clock. Ronald's Supermarket didn't close for another hour, we still had time to go there. Without thought I turned around and made a run for it, Lily looking behind her and seeing me running she shrugged and continued walking.

I made a total of 200G from all our gatherings, or the ones I sold at least. Food was still needed in my house so I had kept three blueberries, five herbs, two medical herbs, and ten very berries. Instead of looking for Lily I went back to my old home and grabbed some stuff that had been left in the fridge, a dozen fresh eggs, four small milks, and a couple stalks of corn.

When I came back to the farmhouse I walked in and Lily was sitting on my bed, her belongings at the foot of the bed. "About time," she greeted. "What's for dinner?"

"Probably omelets," I said dryly.

"How 'bout some cream of corn soup?" she suggested.

"Precisely how do you predict to make that?" I asked stubbornly.

"With those stalks of corn hanging out of your rucksack and that milk. We can have omelets for breakfast but I'm not in the mood for having them for dinner." I nodded and handed the two stalks of corn and two small milks. We both went into the kitchen and she began cooking, the smell of soup drifting out of the pot. My mouth watered at the smell of it, and I remembered when mom had always made it.

Lily finished within a matter of minutes and she grabbed some bowls from the cupboard and poured soup for both of us. We ate silently, wolfing down the piping hot food without a second thought and not even noticing the heat. I slouched in my chair after finishing and closed my eyes drowsily.

"Lily," I said.

"Hmm?"

"Do you know of any mysterious flower that blooms every few years and then kills someone?"

"Never heard of anything like that, why do you ask?"

"Rav told me about it earlier."

"Rav says a lot of weird stuff, but you really should trust him, he knows a lot despite his inexperience in stuff. He can get hunches that you never want to doubt," Lily explained.

"I see...say, by any chance do you happen to know what his real name is?" I asked her anxiously.

"Yes, but he prefers Rav, I know that he doesn't want you to know his name so don't even try. So have we managed to gather everything up? Good, now let's go back, tomorrow's a big day, you'll be getting your first cow."

**Lily's Pov**

I hated Rav for what he did, I was now living with this farmer: Daism. It was unexpected and not what I had wanted or even thought of as possible. In a way I didn't mind living with Daism; the only thing I minded was how Rav hadn't even asked me. Whenever I found him alone he would really get what he deserved...a good yelling at.

Daism actually was a really good chef and I couldn't help but nearly drool over the meal he made for dinner. All I got as a response for the look on my face was a cheerful laugh that didn't sound like him at all. Daism seemed more of the type for being cold, antisocial, and mysterious. Mysterious...oh how I loved that kind of personality the best.

After we cleaned up the small mess Daism got out a small cot and I helped him bring it up to the attic. The attic was small and dusty but it was decent enough. There was a small window, plenty of room to navigate despite the size, and an oaken chest of drawers where I could put my clothing. Of course all of this would have to wait until once I cleaned it up tomorrow when I found the time.

"I'm sorry it couldn't have been a nicer room, Lily," he muttered.

"It's alright," I told him simply. "With a little spring cleaning this'll be as good as new." His light gray eyes met my bright green ones and I felt my heart sink, shivers go up my spine, and my stomach flip all at once. He nodded to me then went back downstairs, I watched him all the way. _So handsome,_ I thought. I was surprised at my feelings towards him, usually I hated all men around my age, they were always so perverted and dumb.

For two hours I lay in my new bed, staring at the dark ceiling and thinking. I thought about how one day in soon future that flower that Daism had mentioned would bloom. Rav knew about it too, it was just a wonder he came here when it was overdue. There was no explanation coming from him either, no matter how much I asked him he always remained silent then walked away. He could always easily frustrate me and that was one of the things I got frustrated with.

I fell asleep without even knowing it. The screech of Daism's alarm was what woke me. It rang throughout the house for a full ten seconds before dead silence was welcomed. I was really groggy this morning and it took me a couple minutes before I decided to get up. In the dark I shuffled through my bag for some clothing. Apparently I had chosen loose-fitting clothes, the kind I preferred. The shirt was a beautiful indigo color and the pants were tan.

Daism and I ate in silence that morning. Occasionally I cast glances at him, looking at his short, ruffled chestnut brown hair and admiring his all black style today. It looked good on him but I didn't have too much to notice how good, I didn't want to be seen gawping at him like a little highschool girl.

"Ok," Daism said when we had cleaned up. He definitely wasn't a morning person, that was pretty obvious.

"Watering first then we can get a cow," I answered. We walked outside and found Rav already watering the crops in the third square. Daism picked up the extra can and helped Rav finish up the task. I grabbed the sickle in the toolshed nearby and began cutting grass so the cow that we would buy would have plenty of fodder to eat.

**Daism's Pov**

"Go ahead and go with Lily to get," Rav said to me as we began watering the last sixteen crops.

"It can wait, besides we're almost done watering so it won't be too long," I protested.

"That's why, you should go and get a cow now so you can pick out which one you like best, it may take awhile," he argued back. Our gray eyes locked and we held a gaze for what seemed like the longest time ever, both of us wouldn't back down...our stubbornness wouldn't allow it.

"Come on you two! Stop arguing like that. Daism just let Rav finish watering, it won't kill him to do it himself and it won't kill you to let him do it while you get a cow," Lily called to us, stopping the argument. I listened to her, we both did but for different reasons I assumed. The reason I listened was because I loved her at the moment. Whatever Rav's reason was it sure did help not waste a lot of time. He began watering again and I ran up to Lily and we walked silently to Brownie Farm.

"Do you think there's any chance I could get a horse?" I asked casually. Lily just shook her head, honestly unsure of what to answer. I decided it best to have no conversation, Lily wasn't in the mood for any. In fact she hardly ever liked talking, one of the things that made me fall for her.

"We want a cow!" Lily told the 42 year old owner of Brownie Farm, Bob.

"What kind?" Bob grunted.

"Let us look at them and we'll decide which one we want. Of course we want the variety that costs 2500G _only_," Lily told him with a little aggressiveness in her tone.

"Follow me." He led us out of the store and through a fence to a barn. Inside were at least twenty stalls, fifteen already occupied by cows. "It's sunny today, so the horses are out there," Bob explained when he saw my puzzled expression at the five empty stalls. "Here you are, the five cows you can choose from. Come get me when you've decided." With that he left quickly, leaving Lily and I to look at the cows.

Lily didn't even glance at the first one before she said it wouldn't do. The second one she looked over carefully, eyeing the light brown pelt on it and checking to see if it was old enough to give milk. "This one is on the list of possibilities," she told me after a couple minutes. I nodded and started looking at the other cows. There was one a dark brown color, one a pure white, and another one that was just your regular cow. The regular cow I liked, she was rather young but old enough to give milk and friendly.

"Lily, I think that this cow would do rather nicely," I said to her.

"No, she won't work. Definitely not," Lily replied before even looking at the cow I had suggested. "Now, which cow do you want...the dark brown cow or the light brown cow?"

"What's it matter?" I asked sourly.

"The quality milk you get that's what. That's why I don't want you getting a regular cow, the milk you get from them doesn't sell for as much as milk from these two cows do," Lily answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I see," I muttered. "Fine, if it has to be from those two choices I choose the light brown one."

"Excellent choice, now you have your money right? Good! You'll make it back in no time with this cow and her milk." Lily seemed to be glowing with happiness at my choice and she ran off to get Bob.

"That cow, eh?" he grunted as Lily pointed it out. "That'll be 2500G as you know, pay it up now and I'll have her sent to your farm by the morning." I handed over the money and Lily and I walked away, satisfied that we had gotten a cow at such a fair price.

"Now you're farm will be really successful, with both a cow and a chick that'll one day lay eggs," Lily said.

"What's with you today, you're really not yourself, with talking so much," I told her carefully.

"I'm just happy that one day this farm will rise once again."

"I guess. You think Rav will be happy?"

"Rav is never happy, he's a complete ass...just like your father," Lily grumbled.

"What!" I practically yelled. "You knew my father?"

"I knew him..." Lily began. She was quiet for a moment before finally crying out, "Oh Daism! Don't you realize, Rav is Jack! Rav is your father!" Tears were forming at the corners of her eyes and I didn't have a chance to speak before another voice seemed to come from out of nowhere.

"Yes..he is don't you know?" the mysterious but recognizable voice said. I turned around and my eyes widened horrifically at what I saw.

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